1. Headline
  1. Headline

Video: Steele: ‘This has been a distraction’

updated 3/4/2009 11:36:58 AM ET 2009-03-04T16:36:58

Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele now says the sparring between himself and conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh was a “sideshow distraction.”

Steele told NBC's TODAY that there are disagreements among conservative leaders, but said: “My job is to try to balance that. I wasn't that effective at it this week.”

In an interview on CNN on Saturday, Steele called Limbaugh's talk show “incendiary" and "ugly.” Steele apologized on Monday, calling Limbaugh a “national conservative leader.”

Steele says, “There's a lot of popcorn going around for folks who are watching this and enjoying it.” But the party chairman says he's going to concentrate on moving the GOP forward.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Discuss:

Discussion comments

,

Most active discussions

  1. votes comments
  2. votes comments
  3. votes comments
  4. votes comments

More on TODAY.com

None
  1. Still in gear: Injuries don’t stop veterans on 100-day bike trek

    They knew their cross-country ride to raise awareness about veteran suicides would be hard. What they didn’t realize was how much their journey would rejuvenate them — even though it involved so much injury.

    5/25/2012 6:21:37 PM +00:00 2012-05-25T18:21:37
  2. Military women and suicide: Home safe but not sound

    Increased rates of suicide among females in the military — once out of harm's way — point to how deep and inescapable their emotional wounds can be.

    5/25/2012 6:23:41 PM +00:00 2012-05-25T18:23:41
  3. walltowallbicycleride.com
Yum
  1. The great Cuban sandwich debate

    5/25/2012 8:39:51 PM +00:00 2012-05-25T20:39:51
None
  1. 50 shades of snot: The real reason stay-at-home moms are depressed

    A recent Gallup poll found that stay-home moms are more depressed than working moms. What, taking care of kids all day is hard? 

    5/25/2012 2:35:36 PM +00:00 2012-05-25T14:35:36
None
  1. Picasa

    Holy eyeballs! Pup holds record for largest eyes

    5/25/2012 8:05:59 PM +00:00 2012-05-25T20:05:59
None
  1. Frank Gunn / AP

    Did quitting 'Oprah' kill Oprah's reign?

    5/25/2012 4:22:27 PM +00:00 2012-05-25T16:22:27